


An Uncommon Grail War: Prologue 4: Assassin

by panahinuva



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22398196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panahinuva/pseuds/panahinuva
Summary: A new grail war begins in London. The fourth servant is summoned by a skilled bookworm.
Kudos: 3





	An Uncommon Grail War: Prologue 4: Assassin

The door to the bookshop closed and Alexander Mirensen locked it with a sigh of relief, before putting up a sign. It read "On vacation, will be back in two weeks if I'm still alive!" Most people would take this as cheerful black humor, which the bookseller was known for, but when he looked at the command seals on his right hand, Alex didn't feel like it was a joke. His chosen class had a history of getting absolutely screwed over in grail wars. Taken out first, betrayed by their own servants, or just acting like nightmarish deviants. Never as bad as casters, of course, but still... He selected a book from a shelf and glanced through it. A book of Roman history. This was the first thing to inspire him to select his servant. Someone strong in mind and body who might be able to stand toe to toe with a knight class, despite being part of the cavalier group. 

He brushed dust off of his t-shirt, then entered the back room of the bookstore, which was cluttered with paperwork, books, notes and knickknacks, then crouched down in a corner, murmuring a disengagement charm in Latin. The sensor web on the papers faded and he swept them aside before placing a palm on the floorboards. He uttered a longer charm, this time in Aramaic, and the floor blurred, fading out of reality and being replaced by a trap door. He opened the trap door and descended into his workshop. 

The workshop was just as cluttered as the office above, although the bric-a-brac was significantly more magical and the books significantly more arcane. He drew a thick volume from thin air next to him and opened it, tossing it into the air. It floated at eye level, displaying lines of gibberish. The Library of Babel was a powerful mystic code that could answer any question, as well as being enchanted with some fun combat abilities. Of course, it was also bound by the rules of narrative, so it wasn't able to give him any spoilers about the future or solve problems for him. "Library of Babel, please display servant summoning ritual." He ordered and the words scrambled, some dissolving into traces of ink before vanishing, while others spun into legible text. Then he opened a cabinet, murmuring several counter charms and counter hexes as he did so. Before touching the wooden box within, he slit his palm open and drew a pattern on the lid with the blood. A previously unfelt pressure eased as he calmed the guardian beast he had attached to the box. It had taken a phenomenal amount of time, money and favors to get this relic.

He opened the box and removed a Roman pugio from within. The dagger was crusted with dried blood and he handled it carefully, making sure as little blood as possible flaked off. Arranging the death of a member of the British royal family, even if he was a distant cousin, wasn't easy and he didn't want to waste the tool he'd acquired. 

The pugio was placed in the center of the ornate summoning circle he'd had inlaid into the corner of his workshop. Summoning servants might be something restricted to Mages' Association experiments and Grail Wars, but there were plenty of other things to summon for his own experiments. He sat down cross legged by the circle and stared at it thoughtfully for a few minutes, trying to remember if he'd forgotten anything. Nothing came to mind, so he stood up and started the chant.

As soon as he finished, there was a sound of distant talking, which grew heated for a moment, then calmed down. Footsteps seemed to approach from nowhere, the voices receding as the footsteps grew closer, but there was something odd about them. Instead of the regular _tap, tap, tap_ one would expect, each step put him in mind of a pitched battle, men crying out in pain and horror, horses screaming, swords clashing and officers yelling out orders. It wasn't literally what he was hearing, but that's what he felt like he was hearing with each step.

There was a creak like a wooden door opening and a door opened in the air, allowing a dark haired man with intense brown eyes, a large nose and a toga to enter the circle. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I thank you for the summoning, master. If I'd had to listen to those senators argue for another minute, there would've been another murder." He gave a tired smile and bowed. "I am Marcus Junius Brutus, Assassin, at your service."

Alex bowed back, running a hand over his short dark hair. "As well mannered as I would expect of a governor and praetor." He replied. "Do you acknowledge our contract?" He waved a hand and the Library of Babel returned to his hand and he dropped it back into its invisible pocket.

Brutus watched the action with interest. "Of course. So, you are a mage, I take it? I generally would assume so, but the last time I was summoned, it was by a young military man who had been embroiled in a grail war entirely by accident."

Alexander nodded. "I am. No one of any great prominence, no Einzbern or Tohsaka. But I do well enough for myself." He gave a small smile. "I must admit, I'm more than a little excited to witness a grail war. Seeing legendary figures clashing over the opportunity to have a wish granted, it's a truly once in a lifetime experience."

"Is that why you summoned an assassin?" Brutus asked curiously. "So that you wouldn't have to engage in direct combat and could watch and wait for the best opportunities to make your move?"

Alex stroked his chin. "Hmm...I suppose that's accurate to say. But I also chose you over a more standard choice, like one of the many Hashashin because you were a general and a politician. You're not restricted to sitting in the shadows, waiting for someone to make a wrong move before you jump out and stab them. You offer me the opportunity to take a more active role in the war, the opportunity to...play politics." Alex gave a wide, cheshire grin. "What say you, Brutus?"

Brutus smiled back. "I say you will be an interesting master. I welcome the opportunity to engage in a real war for once." He cracked his neck. "So, when does this war begin?" He inquired.

"Three days. We travel to London tomorrow, then the war truly begins two days after that." Alex replied, stroking his chin again. "Now, give me a moment to fetch my scrying orb and we'll see what information we can gather on the other masters. Command seals give off a very clear magical signal and I don't believe any other grail events are currently active, so tracking them should prove an easy task."

Brutus nodded, leaving the circle and sitting in a nearby chair. "Knowledge is power, as they say. It's difficult to play one's foes off against each other if one does not know who is Pompey, who is Caeser and who is Cicero."   


Alex wobbled a hand as he dug through a cabinet. "The metaphor falls apart a bit when you get that specific. Regardless, it's time to do what librarians are best at: research."  



End file.
